Suitably Blue
by Eyes of Glass
Summary: In the depths of a New York winter, it's not such a bad thing having an elder brother.


Title: Suitably Blue  
Author: Eyes of Glass  
Rating: K  
Feedback: I take all constructive criticism. Constructive criticism would be deeply appreciated.

It was only in the depths of the New York winter that the lairs gentle warmth (courtesy of Donatello's miracle heater/ex-toaster) would begin to diminish. Day by day, ice would creep in through the stone walls and the surrounding sewers would become practically refrigerated.

It was during such days when the turtles would really begin to feel their reptilian roots so to speak. Despite their mutation and various attempts to keep warm, at the end of the day they were cold blooded. Although at that moment in time, cold was a bit of an understatement.

The stone floor of the lair was icy to the touch and the small pool in the centre was partially iced over, although Michelangelo was still refused permission to skate over it.

On one side of the lair, an old rat lay sleeping under a thick blanket in the cosy warmth of hid room. Occasionally he would shiver when the slightest breeze came through the door but little else disturbed his slumber. He had of course offered his room to his sons but they had all refused, some more resolutely than others it had to be said.

On the other side, out of the four bedrooms of the turtle brothers, three were vacated. Michelangelo's had been the first to have been abandoned and now there was no light in the room save for the small glow light coming from one lamp in the corner of the room that had not been turned off. The glow of the bulb seemed to be the only slight warmth penetrating the cold and still the piles of comic books seemed to have a layer of frost from lack of heat over a long time.

The second room, Raphael's, was also empty, the hammock lay limp and unoccupied and the training post in the corner seemed to be frozen when compared to wintry feel of the room. It was entirely set in darkness with no light or warmth from any source. It's previous inhabitant had left his Sai's embedded in the dart board hung on the wall, the only sign of anyone having been there at all.

The third room along the way, Donatello's, was quite possibly the coolest. Metal objects and various pieces of science equipment were packed in the various corners and the metal grates- handy for releasing chemical odours- continued to let in the frosty air of the sewers leaving little cause to wonder why it's occupant had left.

The final room was noticeably different from the others; mostly in temperature. Instead of an overall icy feel like it's counterparts, the room had a pleasant warmth to it, likely due to the candle burning gently around the room and the various rugs and blankets scattered on the floor to abate the feel of cold stone.

In the centre of the room, huddled in a mess of blankets and duvet covers lay four turtles, three of them sound asleep and all huddled together like children seeking comfort. Michelangelo had buried himself in the centre of the pile and was sleeping peacefully, his hands no longer shaking from the cold as they had been before.

_Mikey? You can bunk in my room if you like,_

Raphael was furthest from the centre, content with wrapping his arms around his brothers and shielding them from the cold, protecting them even in his sleep. His face was relaxed and drawn into a rare contended smile from the normally stoic turtle. It had taken some coaxing to make him leave the cold of his room but eventually the gruff turtle had quietly accepted and rushed into his brothers room before any remarks could be made.

_Raph, there's a space in my room if you want it, just in case,_

Donatello was curled up like a child next to Mikey, his arms wrapped snug around the blankets between them and ensuring both of them remained buried in the heat surrounding them. His face was no longer creased with worry or anxiety; instead an expression of peaceful contentment, quite like his brother, was adorning his face as he slumbered.

_Donny, your room is freezing, come on, you need some warmth,_

The fourth and final turtle was not asleep, but in a state of laze awareness. His half closed eyes surveyed his brothers slowly and ensuring each one of them was warm enough. He watched in dim amusement as his brothers snuggled closer together in their sleep, unaware but unconsciously seeking warmth from one another.

He in turn settled closer and wrapped one arm around the blankets, huddling the four closer and trapping the heat around them. Resting his head upon his other arm, he smiled softly as the combined breathing of his brothers made a soft and gentle rhythm against the normal silence of his bedroom.

The candle burned lower but their heat still permeated throughout and none of the brothers shivered dispute the loss of warmth from the lair's regular heater. Leonardo let his eyes drift closer as his sleepiness began to wash over him.

Letting his smile descend into a quiet yawn, he felt a brief sense of achievement before surrendering to sleep. Not as a ninja, nor even as a team leader. That night, being an older brother was of greater importance.

_I sincerely hope you enjoyed this fic, though I am now feeling a little sleepy. Any reviews would be wonderful, thanks for reading. _


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